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Bloomberg
China’s leading solar association called on the government to provide support to the industry as measures to contain the outbreak of a virus are hampering the restart of manufacturing activity.
The China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA) is asking policy makers to delay tariff cuts for solar power, deputy secretary Liu Yiyang said. The group is also seeking subsidies or interest-free loans for manufacturers to help ease their cash flow pressure, he said.
The requests come as more than a dozen Chinese provinces have extended the new year holiday until the end of February 9 in a bid to halt the spread of the virus that has killed hundreds of people and sickened thousands. Investors are trying to quantify the impact of the disruptions, including a slowdown in construction activity as workers struggle to return from their home cities.
“The sudden epidemic is affecting the pace of development of the solar industry,†Liu said.
The next cut in tariffs for unfinished solar projects approved for 2019 subsidy quotas is expected at the end of March. China has been scaling back financial support to the solar industry as it pushes for renewable energy to compete economically with conventional power sources such as coal and natural gas.